At that moment was heard the boom of the gun that is fired from the
Castle of St. Angelo at mid-day, and Roma put down her tools.
"If you don't mind, I'll not try to do any more to-day," she said in a
husky voice. "Somehow it isn't coming right this morning. It's like that
sometimes. But if you can come at this time to-morrow...."
"With pleasure," said David Rossi, and a moment later he was gone.
She looked at her work and obliterated the expression again.
"Not Thomas," she thought. "John--the beloved disciple! That would fit
him exactly."
As she went upstairs to dress for lunch, Felice gave her an envelope
bearing the seal of the Prime Minister, and told her the dog was
missing.
"He must have followed Mr. Rossi," said Roma, and without ado she read
the letter.
"DEAR ROMA,--A thousand thanks for suggesting Charles Minghelli. I
sent for him, saw him, and appointed him immediately. Thanks, too,
for the clue about your father. Highly significant! I mentioned it
to Minghelli, and the dark fire in his eyes shone out instantly.
Adieu, my dear! You are on the right track! I will observe your
request and not come near you.--Affectionately, "BONELLI."
III
Next morning Roma found herself dressing with extraordinary care.
After coffee she went into the Countess's room as usual. The old lady
had made her toilette, and her cat was purring on a cushion by her side.
"Aunt Betsy, is it true that my father was decoyed back to Italy by the
police?"
"How do I know that? But if he was, it was no more than he might have
expected. He had been breeding sedition at the safe distance of a
thousand miles, and it was time he was brought to justice. Besides...."
"Well?"
"There were the estates, and naturally the law could not assign them to
anybody else while there was no judgment against your father."
"So my father was enticed back to Italy in the interests of the next of
kin."
"Roma! How dare you talk like that? About your best friend, too!"
"I didn't say anything against the Baron, did I?"
"You would be an ungrateful girl if you did. As for your father, I'm
tired of talking. Only for his exile you would have had possession of
your family estates at this moment, and been a princess in your own
right."
"Only for this exile I shouldn't have been here at all, auntie, and
somebody else would have been the princess, it seems to me."